Let’s talk some (clean) politics

By Colleen O'Callaghan-Miele

Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008 | midnight

My dear friend Diana happens to have her birthday on the same day as my father.

Every year it has given Diana great joy to harass me, because each year I religiously forget it is her birthday, also.

With each passing Sept. 10, Diana would ask, "Whose birthday just passed?" Naturally, every year I would respond with, "It was my dad's birthday!"

Well, being the great lady she is, this year she spared me the pain and annual humiliation of forgetting that it was her turn to celebrate the big day. We celebrated dad's and her birthday at a true Las Vegas watering hole — the kind that dad would've been comfortable at and totally within Diana's comfort zone. There were people from all walks of life enjoying a cold beer, great conversation and, at times, political debates.

As we toasted, I asked my friend to make a birthday wish. She said, "What I wish for is the impossible."

Well, just tell me something is impossible and watch me find a way to make it possible. My friend knows that about me.

Diana wished for the days when, in polite company, it was rude to talk about politics or sex. This was a time when sex was considered dirty and politics was considered clean yet very controversial.

I believe her request is possible and, in fact, very doable, just not within my power. This birthday wish is in the hands of the voters and the American political powers-that-be.

I am often told that I look at people and life through rose-colored lenses. But restoring the reputation of politics after removing my rose-colored glasses is still doable.

As we continued our celebration, we got around to listening to the latest rumors out there regarding the races in the local, state and national political arenas. While I will not repeat the rumors — it's not my style — I will share with you my response to one of them.

I do hope the candidate is a Latter-day Saint, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or a member of any other religion or is atheist or agnostic. This is America, like a diamond strong with many facets of races, colors and creeds.

I hope the candidate is Independent, Republican, Democrat or Libertarian. That's American.

I hope the candidate's ethnic background is Hispanic, Irish, Italian, German, African-American, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Native American or Indian or any other nationality whose people have come to live in our country. That's American.

I hope all the candidates worked their way up to achieve their goals and dreams or the dreams of their parents or grandparents who gave up their businesses, land and families to make America their home. Imagine how difficult that must have been to leave everything behind to flee from religious, ethnic or political persecution.

I know and understand that politics can get dirty. My girlfriend may want to turn back the hands of time, in more ways than one.

I would like to grant her one birthday wish. Can we make politics clean and get back to the day when sex was dirty?

Colleen O’Callaghan-Miele, co-publisher of the News, can be reached at 990-2653 or [email protected].